Nour El Sherbini, a fearless 20-year-old Egyptian, became the youngest ever world women’s champion on Saturday after launching a stunning comeback from two games down to deny Laura Massaro in Malaysia.

El Sherbini looked a dispirited onlooker as Massaro raced to within one game of a second world title in three years before triumphing 6-11, 4-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 in 62 minutes.

Her win, which came complete with a Citroen car and $27,000, left her celebrating her third victory in five tournaments, adding to last month’s Egyptian-dominated British Open, as well as reversing her defeat to Massaro in the 2013 world squash final.

For the 32-year-old Englishwoman, defeat ended a stellar run on Malaysian soil in the last few years, having won 19 matches with two losses before Sunday. It also scuppered Britain’s attempt to add a fifth world title since 2010 and the start of Nick Matthew’s dominance.

“It felt like a real battle,” said Massaro. “I don’t think any of us played our best, but that’s what a World Championship can do.